Spicing up the good life...

Thanks, Cheryl, for your comment yesterday about red wine in a "healthy" diet. She's right, of course - there are a number of "sinful" foods which, when partaken in moderation, have healthy benefits...

Red Wine...

Among wine’s recently discovered benefits are: improved heart health, less plaque accumulation in arteries, better bone health, cataract prevention, decreased risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, possibly cancer prevention and more. Remember, though, more isn’t necessarily better... one 5-ounce glass of wine per day for women, and two for men is quite sufficient.

Chocolate...

For my money, the discovery that chocolate has health benefits is one of science's greatest miracles! While this lady is eating chocolate like most of us dream of eating chocolate, she's not doing it right. The key word is MODERATION! Also, dark chocolate is mo' betta than milk chocolate - the higher the percentage of cocoa, the better - 60 or 70% is my idea of perfection. Make sure it's good quality chocolate... Godiva, anyone?

Coffee...

Coffee is the number one source of antioxidants in the American diet. While we SHOULD be getting the good stuff primarily from produce, the good news is that coffee isn’t bad for you. As little as one to two cups per day may protect against certain types of cancer and diabetes, and could reduce the risk of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. Go easy on the sugar and cream, though...

Popcorn...

I've always felt that popcorn is proof that God has a sense of humor!
Fewer than 10 percent of Americans get the recommended three servings of whole-grain foods per day. People who eat popcorn (a whole-grain food) have a 250 percent higher intake of whole grains and 22 percent higher intake of fiber than people who don’t pop. One serving of plain popcorn (six cups!!) has only 100 calories and provides two servings of whole grains. Go easy on the butter, though - there are plenty of other ways to season popcorn... spray the popped corn with a little buttery cooking spray, then sprinkle on cinnamon, or red pepper, or curry powder, or taco seasoning, or another herb or spice you like. Saute some crushed garlic in a little olive oil and mix it in, then top with a little parmesan cheese. Try sprinkling on a little hot sauce or soy sauce... Remember... moderation, moderation, moderation!

Peanut Butter...

It tastes so good it must be bad for you, right? Eat the whole jar and it will be, but stick to one serving (about 2 tablespoons) and you’ll load up on heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, which can lower cholesterol and help keep heart disease at bay. Choose “natural” peanut butters, since they contain no added artificially hydrogenated oils (trans fats) like many of the standard versions. Check the ingredient list: The only two things on the list should be ground peanuts and maybe a little salt. Spread some on whole wheat toast and you’ll also be sneaking in some vitamin E, folic acid, potassium, protein, zinc, fiber and magnesium. What could be better?

The good life...

Here are some rock-bottom basic tips from Dr. Oz for living a healthy life... a good start for people who want to start, but don't know where to start. Do these five simple things every day...

Walk for 30 minutes...


Drink two cups of green tea (yummy with a little honey!)...


Take Vitamin D and calcium, and a little magnesium doesn't hurt...


Get 7-8 hours of sleep...


Meditate for 5 minutes...

Further work on the new quilt...

It was a dreary, damp, dark day today - perfect for hanging out in my studio and working on my latest quilt. I mostly played around and experimented today, and managed to put two blocks together, as well as starting work on the quilt back. I'm pleased with the way everything turned out, and really enjoyed the extra hour of light thanks to the time change. Andre Previn, Erroll Garner, Bill Evans and Mike Greensill supplied mellow piano jazz in the background, further blissing me out. Both of these blocks, along with some other chunks of strips will find their way into the fourth and center segment of the quilt.



I took a couple of breaks along the way, and sat at my desk, alternately staring out the window and reading my new issue of "Where Women Create". In spite of the rain, the view was calm and relaxing, as always!

Progress report...

Yesterday I finished the third segment (of seven) of my current work in progress. It's been slow going on this piece - while my mind races ahead, the actual work moves very slowly as I struggle to return to "creative" mode - both spiritually and physically. I spent much of today working on the fourth segment of the piece, and should have it completed in a couple of days. I'm excited by this piece, which is totally improvisatory and is constantly surprising me with it's color and construction. Hopefully, I can keep moving ahead and have the bulk of the design and construction done by the end of next week.

Going back in time...

I recently discovered a website for the now defunct Saint Louis Institute of Music, from which I graduated in 1963. Lots of fun information and some pictures that really "took me back..." The school was housed in an interesting building in Clayton, a 'burb of St. Louis. The building was old, un-air-conditioned, freezing in winter, broiling in summer, but was home to me for a couple of the best years of my life. I experienced a host of exceptional teachers (except for one, who shall remain nameless, because many people thought he was an excellent teacher/person/musician... maybe he was all of that, but from the start he took an almost paranoid dislike of me, and gave me quite a bit of grief until I, mercifully, didn't need his classes any longer.)

Here's the school in summer:

And in winter (brrrrrrr...!):

Mr. Lyndon Croxford, my elegant, gentlemanly, no-nonsense, excellent piano professor:

Ed Petsch, the polar opposite of Mr. Croxford - flamboyant, fun to a fault, and equally excellent piano professor:

I couldn't find a picture of my beloved organ professor, Manus Sasonkin, but he will always be my favorite!

This is "The Bunker", a building I hated with a passion. It was located behind the main building, and was a hideous hole - dark, dingy, suffocating and depressing - and contained the practice rooms, which were full of the most dreadful collection of pathetic pianos on the planet. I have no idea what eventually happened to the main building at the Institute after it closed, but I have lovely fantasies of The Bunker being reduced to rubble during military exercises!